Back in the USA

We’ve arrived back in the USA. I have been posting on our trip from my iPod touch. Here are the posts on our family blog related to our 2009 trip to Europe.

~Steve

WnD Social Event Friday

Downtown San Jose Party June 5th
According to the related Web site, Friday is SubZero. SubZero is billed as, “a diy, artistically bent, hi/lo-techno-mashup where street meets geek presented by ZER01 and South First Fridays.

From dusk ‘til midnight between San Carlos and Reed Street, you’ll find two stages of entertainment plus 100 artists, performers, and musicians celebrating the indie creative spirit.”

This an event associated with South FIRST FRIDAYS. First Fridays is an ecletic evening of Arts & Culture in downtown San Jose’s SoFA (South First Arts) district every First Friday of the month.

The SoFA District in San Jose is the growing art district South First Street between San Carlos and East Reed Streets. This area features galleries, cafes and the yoga studio. The gallaries will all be open and it is a lot of fun.

Meet at yoga at 5:00 p.m.
A great opportunity to try Yoga! We are starting at 5 p.m. with an optional super mellow Restorative Yoga class (cost $10) put on by Janya Wongsopa at Downtown Yoga Shala. Janya is a great Yoga teacher and this is a very mellow class. I recommend this as a great class for trying yoga for the first time. I plan to be there.

Or, meet at dinner and drinks at 7:00 p.m.
Dinner and drinks at Hawgs is at about 7. Hawg’s San Jose is close enough to be convenient and far enough away from SubZero to not be slammed by the event. If you can’t make Yoga, then meet up here. We can eat, have cocktails and then we can go to the street party. Hope you can make it!

Please RSVP so I can make appropriate reservations:

[Click here to RSVP]

Century Ride Reflections

Saturday Century Ride a Success
The first ever Whine and Dine Century (100 mile bicycle ride) went from San Jose to the outskirts of Hollister. It had a metric (60 mile) option that some riders rode. By the time we got home from the dinner after the ride, it was almost dark.

[More Photos Here]

Whine and Dine Reflections; April 16, 2009

I had a blast last night. I hope those of you who braved the chilly temperatures to ride and party did too. It seems to me the rides are getting more fun each year.

This is the time of year when we start expanding the mellow ride beyond just Kennedy and Shannon. As we start to extend and expand the ride it becomes a bit more challenging, a bit faster and a bit steeper. That, in the past, has lead some whine and diners to think the ride is not for them. I do not want to see that happen. So, I am going to start bringing a second set of route sheets for a super mellow option of the whine and dine rides.

Next week the WnD Mellow ride is half Hicks. But, I will bring and post route sheets for a shorter alternative.

We talked a lot about Yoga last night. A couple of us whine and diners are members of Downtown Yoga Shala, a great new San Jose Yoga studio owned by cyclist, ACTC member and whine and diner Veronica Cruz. What she and Yoga have done for me is almost a miracle. I am feeling better and riding stronger than I have for years. I know downtown San Jose may not be an option for some folks; but for me it is perfect. (Since joining the studio three weeks ago I have lost four pounds.)

They have a couple of limited time, great promotions now, including 10 days for $10 and a third off monthly memberships. If nothing else, this is the perfect time to just check them out. Hey, we can even do Yoga classes together! Veronica is the real deal. She is one of us. She has been in a major bike accident (and used yoga to recover from it.) Anyway, I promised yesterday to pass on some information so here it is:

• Downtown Yoga Shala Website
• Yelp reviews of Downtown Yoga Shala
• Steve’s Yoga Calendar

Whine and Dine in May
In May we also have a number of whine and dine weekend events on tap including metric and full centuries!

Great First Whine and Dine

First Whine and Dine Ride of 2009
No foolin, April 1, 2009 was the first Whine and Dine ride of the season. It was a blast! About 40 people showed up for the ride.

[Click here to see more photos]

2009 whine and dine season first ride

The fun starts April First

It’s Whine and Dine Time!
It is time to roll out the red carpet, next week is the first Whine and Dine Ride of 2009! The stars of the 2009 season will be meeting at Summit Bikes in Los Gatos at 6 p.m. The mellow ride will help folks pedal away the cobwebs as we do an easy 3LM ride over Kennedy and Shannon! Look forward to seeing you there. But, watch out for the Paparazzi!

This is three rides and a hike!
Next week we are anticipating having two road rides (quick spinners and mellow,) one mountain bike ride and a hike. Everyone will come together for social time after!

More details will be posted as we get closer. I only lead the Mellow Ride, so I cannot answer questions about the other rides or the hike.

Mt. Diablo AA Black Friday Ride

Mt.Diablo, to the Top and Back

Friday Nov. 28, 11 a.m., 5 LM/M, 30 miles

My nephew Alex from Portland and Sue’s cousin Adam from Paso Robles are both awesome cyclists and have both done ACTC rides when they have visited. Well, they are both going to be here this weekend and both are up for a ride. So, this is a special AA ride!

More details to come, start at 11 a.m. starting in Danville at Camino Tassajara & Blackhawk Roads.
Carpooling is encouraged.

This is from Don Axtell’s Ride

DBT005, 29.4 miles, 3825.feet of climbing
GO TOTAL TURN ROAD NAME
START AT CAMINO TASSAJARA
0.0 R BLACKHAWK RD.
3.5 3.5 R SOUTH GATE RD.
6.8 10.3 R SUMMIT RD.
4.4 14.7 X MOUNT DIABLO
0.0 14.7 U SUMMIT RD.
4.4 19.1 L SOUTH GATE RD.
6.8 25.9 L BLACKHAWK RD.
3.5 29.4 END CAMINO TASSAJARA
R=Right, L=Left, X=Cross, U=Uturn, S=straight

Beer (and other food) to follow the ride. Weather will be on the cool side with a high of 61 at the base of the hill (cooler at the top). The climb is almost constant to the top and so be prepared for a chilly descent, but without nasty hills to interrupt the descent and cause sweating.

We are talking 5-7% climb/descent except for a steep pitch at the tippy top. You know I will be going at a mellow pace in my grandpa gears.

Whine and Dine Wedding Pics

[Click here to see more photos]

Celebrating a Whine and Dine Wedding

Tuesday night we celebrated the recent wedding of John and Rosa. They are the first whine and dine regulars to marry who actually met on the whine and dine ride.

Friday Special Ride Event: Reynolds (5 LM)

We will have a special Friday Whine and Dine ride. There will be no ride credit for this ride. Let’s meet at the small parking lot at the corner on Camden Avenue and Coleman in San Jose at 5:30 p.m. After the ride we will go to Tacos Al Pastor at Camden and Almaden Expressway for Burritos, Beer and maybe some vino…

WnD Rides and Hike: Sep 2, 2008

[More photos from Aug. 26, 2008 Here]

Most Recent Update: Tue Sep  2 17:04:59 PDT 2008
Personal request – I lead the mellow ride. Please do not call me about any rides I do not lead. I have no more information than is posted here.
~Steve

Ride Details

All the Whine and Dine Rides start at 6 pm on Tuesday in front of Summit Bikes in Los Gatos, CA. After the rides we go out for fun and food at Una Mas in Los Gatos.

Mountain Bike Ride

Details will be posted when/if they become available.

The Tuesday Whine and Dine road rides

Quick Spinner Road Ride

Details are posted here.

Mellow Road Ride

Mellow Ride – Shannon/Kennedy and half Hicks, other half Hicks and/or Loma Almaden Optional
3LM, 17mi, (5 and 6 M optional)
[For Mellow Ride Route Sheet Click Here]
This ride can be easy, or very hard, depending on how it is ridden. Today’s ride offers various paces and grades. The easier option offers Kenndy and Shannon (3) and the not too steep part of Hicks. If you want to do the hard options, you will need to shoot out of the gate to get all of Hicks in before dark. If that is not hard enough, very hard core riders choosing this ride may want to do all of Hicks (5) and maybe even Loma Almaden (6).

Note the route sheet lists the climb to the top of Hicks but this days ride mellow component turns around at (or before) the switchback before the hard climb starts. [Click here to see a photo of the "double diamond" sign at the turn around point.]

The rest of Hicks and Loma Almaden are “for credit” options. If you want to do the option(s) be prepared for a longer and a challenging ride. I am okay with you leaving early if you want to do this option. If you do, let me know you did. You may want to bring lights. This week you can be both studly and/or mellow! If you plan to be studly, please do it with a buddy!

Be Green, Print Your Own Route Sheet

I am only printing a few route sheets to conserve paper. Riders are encouraged to print your own route sheets before the ride. This is the only way you can be sure to get a route sheet. I am tired of wasting so much paper.

[For Mellow Ride Route Sheet Click Here]

Hike

According to Sue, the hike appears to be on after all!

UPDATES
Will update this post when information is received. Please check back later right here on this blog. Please do not call me about this hike. I have no more information than is posted here. I am not leading this hike.

Alcohol and Los Gatos Whine and Dine Rides

Please note: Any eating of burritos and/or possible consumption of alcohol will occur after the Whine and Dine rides. Consumption of alcoholic beverages, including possible brewskies, will not be occurring on the ride, only after!

Please drink responsibly.

ACTC Ride Sign Up Sheet

[Ride leaders, download sign up sheet here]

Another Whine and Dine Couple Marries

John and Rosa got married yesterday

Yesterday we went to John and Rosa’s wedding. I photographed it as our wedding gift to them. It was a lovely wedding and a fun party after. Rosa was a lovely bride and we had a great time. What fun that was!

This is the second whine and dine couple to marry, Scott and Sarah were the first!